Appropriate Tip for Cabin Steward/ess?

[zqvol]

Kind of a newbie question..

 

Just had my first cruise last week and I stayed in an inside stateroom, 7 day cruise, and tipped our cabin steward $30 in cash.

 

What is the appropriate tip for a 7 day cruise? Obviously I know this would depend on your happiness with the steward. Ours was fine - greeted both of us by name on the first day, was always around, and never had an issue with him. We also didn't utilize him for anything other than cleaning/turn down such as requests for items if needed..

 

What do you normally tip? And would you tip more if you were in a balcony or mini-suite cabin? (I know suites are different since they have butler services)

 

Just trying to get a feel. TIA.

 

As long as you did nto remove the DSC, then it is more than appropriate. IN fact as long as you leave the DSC on your account then no additional gratuity is required.

[zqvol]

If the service is above and beyond, I'll tip $20 to $40 in addition to the DSC. If the service is just adequate, I don't leave an additional tip. Fortunately, on NCL I've never had service that I thought was just adequate.

 

 

Interesting because I have never had service that was above and beyond on any of the over 30 cruises that I have been on. I suspect that the difference is in expectations.

[cmdchiefthom]

I usually figure 5 bucks a day for a seven day cruise is reasonable for standard service, and will tip $50my wife and I feel the steward went an extra mile or so. There are several stewards we remain in email contact with because we made that connection. For what they do, for as many passengers they serve weekly, the are pretty special, IMHO.:)

Edited October 24, 2015 by cmdchiefthom

[NLH Arizona]

Interesting because I have never had service that was above and beyond on any of the over 30 cruises that I have been on. I suspect that the difference is in expectations.

Well, hopefully one day you will have service that is above and beyond and when you have it, you'll know it.

[DMH15]

Well, hopefully one day you will have service that is above and beyond and when you have it, you'll know it.

 

 

Of course. Perfect retort.

[Scotchick]

It's a totally different tipping system from the U.S. to say Australia, NZ or the Brits. It makes perfect sense to the Americans to tip because usually their service workers do not make a living wage and therefore depend on tips. Not so in Australia, NZ or in Britain. I am of the opinion that the employer should pay a living wage and a tip should be forthcoming for extra special service. I do feel though that when in Rome........ Nobody should be berated for their way of life or told by anyone else that they are wrong. We don't all live by the same rules.

[roger001]

I usually figure 5 bucks a day for a seven day cruise is reasonable for standard service, and will tip $50my wife and I feel the steward went an extra mile or so. There are several stewards we remain in email contact with because we made that connection. For what they do, for as many passengers they serve weekly, the are pretty special, IMHO.:)

 

 

Yes to all of the above.

[CapCrunch]

The DSC means we paid the tips.

 

I don't disagree with anything in your post, but does anyone know how much anyone gets from all those pooled tips? I'd guess with their wages it doesn't amount to that much. Whatever, just like most waiters or bartenders, they don't make that much. But yes, we're already tipping them so anything else is just extra.

[BirdTravels]

We usually give our cabin steward $40 or €40 depending on if we are in the US or Med. I understand that they get some of my DSC. It is our way of saying Thank You. same as tipping every night We are in a hotel.

 

 

ALSO, don't for get to prove positive feedback via comment cards. These are important to helping the crew members.

[BirdTravels]

Interesting because I have never had service that was above and beyond on any of the over 30 cruises that I have been on. I suspect that the difference is in expectations.

 

then I would expect that you would be very disgruntled if you had a cabin steward that did the minimum required by their comapany. Because every one of your cabin stewards have gone beyond the bare minimum required.